Consumer Counseling

For more than 30 years, NYPIRG has offered counseling to consumers with personal issues and complaints, which include landlord/tenant issues, the purchase of shoddy goods or services, or falling victim to deceptive business practices. This service is free of charge and is not a legal service. The counseling centers are based on college campuses across the state and are largely staffed by trained college student volunteers and interns. The centers are overseen by professional NYPIRG staff and lawyers. Through the years, hundreds of college students have become trained counselors and have, in turn, assisted thousands of New Yorkers with a range of consumer complaints and issues. The counseling includes dispute resolution tips and information on how to navigate the New Yorks small claims system from pre-filing assistance to court preparation to judgment collection.